Coronavirus vaccine Russia: Has World’s first COVID19 vaccine breached International scientific standards?

Coronavirus vaccine Russia latest update: Apart from Putin’s daughter, Gamaleya chief Alexander Gintsburg and the institute’s scientists, and the RDIF head himself and his family have taken it. (Reuters image)

Coronavirus vaccine Russia latest update: Russian President Vladimir Putin had made a startling announcement that the “world’s first Coronavirus vaccine” has been developed. However, apprehension has been raised over the safety and efficacy of this vaccine. The big question is whether Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine breached pivotal scientific and ethical international standards by rushing it without completing Phase 3 human trials.

An opinion piece in The Moscow Times has claimed the Russian vaccine against Coronavirus does not meet the “most basic international scientific standards.” Russia’s vaccine has been developed based on using two adapted strains of the adenovirus to trigger an immune response in the human body. However, the state-run Gamaleya Research Institute in Moscow, which is developing the COVID vaccine, is yet to release any trial design or data from Phase 1 and Phase 2 human trials. Apart from this any reputed medical journal so far not published any details about the vaccine. These lead to “lack of transparency” which prevents independent verification of the safety and efficacy of Russia’s much-hyped world’s first coronavirus vaccine, the opinion piece stated. An unproven vaccine can cause thousands of needless hospitalizations and deaths. A vaccine is considered safe and effective only after completion of Phase 3 placebo-controlled trial which is needed to be conducted on a large population. Until then, a vaccine is considered investigational. Sputnik V is yet to complete the Phase 3 human trials, the Moscow Times article says.

Here are Coronavirus vaccine Russia latest updates

Russia’s Coronavirus vaccine name is ‘Sputnik-V’. It has been developed by the government-run Moscow-based Gamaleya Research Institute in coordination with the Russian Defense Ministry and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).

Russia’s Coronavirus vaccine has completed Phase 1 and Phase 2 human trials in June and July respectively.

RDIF head Kirill Dmitriyev has revealed that Sputnik-V’s Phase 3 human trials have commenced with the “conditional registration” on August 11. This will involve thousands of volunteers. Phase 3 Human Trial would also be conducted in the UAE, Philippines, and Saudi Arabia, said RDIF head Kirill Dmitriyev.

Apart from Putin’s daughter, Gamaleya chief Alexander Gintsburg and the institute’s scientists, and the RDIF head himself and his family have taken it.